By using plain packaging, without logos or distinctive color schemes, advocates hope to reduce demand for tobacco products – especially among young people – which public health officials estimate kill 6 million people each year. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, quoted in the release, said, “It kills the glamour, which is appropriate for a product that kills people”.
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One million out of the six million tobacco deaths occur in India.
But it was put on hold pending the outcome of tobacco giant Philip Morris’ legal action against the Australian government, which developed the introduction of plain packets in 2012.
Australia in 2012 became the first World Health Organization member state to introduce plain packaging, and other countries have followed.
Plain packaging has been credited with helping to reduce smoking in Australia since being adopted in 2012, with an additional 0.55 percent decline in smoking among people age 14 and older seen since packages changed, according to the WHO.
In addition, the tobacco companies have already lost legal fights against plain-packaging laws in two countries, Australia and Britain. It limits misleading packaging and labeling. We already have that here in place and we also have some produce that are coming in because the product originated from a country who already has implemented plain packaging.
France recently passed legislation requiring plain packaging, with the law coming into effect last month. One step to make this goal possible is to encourage nations to use plain and standardized packaging for tobacco products.
Canada’s move comes after the United Kingdom begun implementing plain packaging for cigarette packs last month after a legal challenge against the measure by tobacco companies failed.
The second country to pass a plain packaging legislation was Ireland, in March 2015, and is preparing to introduce the measure, according to the World Health Organization release. The WHO says other countries including Ireland, Norway, Singapore, Belgium and New Zealand are also planning to implement this measure.
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Associate Health Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga said the design and appearance of cigarette packs remains a powerful marketing tool for companies, and that smoking-related illnesses kill a dozen New Zealanders every day. The packaging also allows the inclusion of health warnings or other symbols sanctioned by Schedule 3. Similarly to Schedule 2 above, Schedule 4 adds on other provisions regarding the tabs, seals and wrappers in the packaging of rolling tobacco.
